About the job

Job summary

This newly created post joins DLUHC as we look to embed efficient processes, high quality service delivery and a culture of continuous improvement across our Finance function. We are also in the process of upgrading our current SAP finance system from ECC6 to S4 Hana and participating in the cross-government Unity Programme, preparing to move our operational finance functions across to an HMRC-led Shared Service from 2027.

As a Systems Accountant within the Finance Process and Data team, you will be a key member of the team determining the business requirements and processes needed to underpin the new S4 Hana system. In addition you will take a leading role in a specific programme of improvements being implemented across our finance operations processes. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver tangible benefits. The successful candidate will be a team player with excellent communication skills with experience of systems development as well as strong accounting skills, and would enjoy working in a fast paced, demanding project role.

Job description

The post holder will take an active role in:

• Leading project activities, including business process design, assessing system solutions, requirements gathering & developing specifications, designing and checking accounting processes are working correctly, report development, supporting system testing including writing test scripts and testing, data migration, user training and business support following project implementation. 
• Take the lead on implementation of a range of improvements across our financial operations processes, including interpreting and putting into practice a range of recommendations and quick wins, as identified in a recent review of services. 
• Helping to define business requirements for the implementation of S4 Hana and our planned joining of the Unity Shared Service.

In addition, they will help embed a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, consistency and innovation. This includes: 

• Acting as a key interface between finance systems users and our in-house SAP team
• explaining and assess the business impact of technical changes, and identify where such potential changes could have a positive impact.
• Developing strong working relationships with stakeholders including the wider user community, IT colleagues and external consultants
• Build on existing data to expand the development of KPIs and reporting throughout the Directorate
• Working collaboratively with cross-cutting Departmental projects where finance processes and data interact.

Person specification

The post holder will:

• Hold a recognised full CCAB or CIMA Global qualification, or be part qualified to professional level with extensive systems experience. 
• Have experience of finance systems development and implementation, as well as delivering business change. 
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of a breadth of finance processes as well as technical accounting skills. 
• Demonstrate a capacity to think in strategic terms, able to evaluate systems solutions and business processes to ensure they meet the strategic vision of the business. 
• Show strong analytical, creative and pragmatic problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and implement operational improvements in response to business needs, whilst reflecting best practice. 
• Demonstrate excellent communication, relationship building and influencing skills, with the ability to present information clearly and explain complex issues to a range of audiences with varying levels of understanding. 
• Demonstrate an ability to develop operational plans, with excellent planning, organisational and project management skills to deliver.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,934, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £14,022 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Selection Process Details 

As part of our pre-employment checking process we will be using your CV to confirm your job history. Please note that by providing us with your CV you are consenting to us using the information enclosed as part of the checking process. 

 

CV and Cover Letter Declaration 

We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment. 

  

Please remove references to your: 

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

 

You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. 

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors. 

 

 

At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing: 

Experience 

In your CV and covering letter, please include:  
 
a. why you are interested in the role; 
b. how you meet the essential skills and experience required 

 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience, technical and behaviour based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.  

Candidates invited to interview will have to complete a test prior to the interview this will be assessed against Technical. This will include a short scenario to review and then candidates will be expected to present back their findings at the start of the interview. Further details on this will be sent along with interview invitations.

 

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements:  

Experience: Yes - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description 

Technical: Yes – Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description. 

Behaviours: Changing and Improving, Working Together

 

We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs: 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign 

Grade 7 salary 

• The salary for this role is £51,934 (National). 

• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. 
• For qualified chartered accountants an additional accounting allowance of £4,000pa will also be paid. In order to receive this allowance, you must be fully qualified and in a qualifying post as agreed by the Finance Head of Profession.

 

Benefits 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 

Any move to DLUHC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

 

Location 

• Manchester
• Birmingham
• Wolverhampton
• Darlington  

 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.  This role is based at DLUHC and we will be joined on the campus by: 

• HM Treasury  
• Department for International Trade 
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy  
• Office for National Statistics  

• Department for Education 

 

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. 

 

Sift and Interview dates 
  

Sifting is envisaged to take place W/C 11/7/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

 

Reserve List 

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Due to the length of time CTC checks can take, our HR Shared Services team will contact reserve list candidates for London based roles to commence CTC checks. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

Fixed Term Details  

For external candidates– you will be offered a 1 year fixed term appointment with a possibility of permanency.  

For existing civil servants – you will be offered a 1year loan opportunity. Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your parent department to take up a loan appointment should you be successful. 

For DLUHC employees  - you will retain your existing contract 

 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned.The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.